


T.H.R.O.W.

by Kalosis_21



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-19 03:29:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2372879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalosis_21/pseuds/Kalosis_21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Still in jail, Ward is requested for an undercover mission to route out the last remaining members of Hydra, and Skye is his reluctant companion. Can they convince the bad guys they're a harmless couple in love, or will Skye's 'hatred' of Ward cause it all to fall apart? Set after events of season 1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ward POV

**Author's Note:**

> So I started writing this for Camp Nano, and decided it was time to start posting, in the hopes I can actually finish it soon. It's both a redemption fic and a SkyeWard one.
> 
> I'm waiting eagerly for the new season to start in the UK.

Ward POV

“So Grant, you indicated in our last session that you wanted to make amends for your crimes.” My therapist said as she pushed her glasses up her nose.  
I nod slowly. “Yes, I did say that.” I take a deep breath before I continue. “I've spent a lot of my time here thinking about everything I did. And I believe that I've put it into perspective.”  
“What did you discover?” She asked, writing in her notebook.  
“That my entire live hasn't been my own. It's always been controlled by others. As a kid it was my father and older brother, then Garrett got my out of juvie and molded me into a soldier and a member of Hydra. I've never made a decision of my own.” I scrub my face with my hands and lean my elbows on my knees. “In fact, the only thing in my life that wasn't planned out was falling in love with Skye.”  
“And how does that make you feel?”  
“Exhilarated, confused, scared. To suddenly be hit by something as unplanned as love sent me reeling for a while. At the time, the mission was far too important to let anything distract me. But despite all my training, I fell hard, and I ended up acting on it.”  
“You started a relationship with Skye?”  
“Yes, shortly before my incarceration, I began seeing her.”  
“How did that work out for you?”  
“At first it was incredible. She is an amazing woman, with a beautiful heart and a stubborn streak a mile wide.” I smile at the memories that conjured up. “But then she discovered I was Hydra and it destroyed everything. She called me a serial killer and a Nazi. She said I made her feel sick and that she'd never like the real me.”  
“And who is the real you?”  
“Truthfully, I don't know. I've never had the chance to be my own person. It's only in the last few months that I've been able to think for myself. Even though I still have to follow a schedule here, I can do whatever I want in my down time.”  
“So tell me Grant, what do you like to do in your free time?”  
“Surprisingly, I've developed a fondness for drawing. I've always loved to read, but now I get to choose my own books. I'm fascinated by the supernatural, which is no surprise, given my previous profession, but escaping into a fantasy world for a few hours helps me to forget all the horrors and injustice I've seen and delivered to others.”  
She brought the session back to the main question. “So how do you think you can make amends?”  
“I don't think I can. Not from here, and definitely not completely anyway.” I close my eyes and sigh. “I destroyed all the trust that Shield had in me when it came to light where my loyalties lay.”  
“And where was that?”  
“To Hydra.”  
“Are you sure?” She pressed, pushing me to really think about my answer.  
“First and foremost I was loyal to Garrett. He took me under his wing, raised me and gave meaning to my life. I owed him everything. Without him I would have been a criminal, or a murderer, in and out of the system for life. At least with John, I had a direction to go in, an agenda to follow, a goal to reach.”  
“So in truth, your allegiance was solely to Garrett.”  
I hadn't thought about that, but now I do. “I guess you're right.”  
“You stated in an earlier session that you had no idea what Garrett was planning. How did you feel when you finally learned the truth?”  
“Shocked, dismayed. I thought we were following a righteous path, when in truth, all he wanted was the miracle drug so he could live and take over the world. He wasn't who I thought he was.”  
“If you were given the chance to redeem yourself, what would you do?”  
“Whatever it takes to, at the very least, start to reverse the damage I did. I hurt the very people who called me family, and I know there's nothing I can do to ever change that. But if I could, in some small way, help to rebuild what Shield stands for, I would gladly give my life for it.”  
She nodded silently as she continued to make notes. In the beginning it made me feel paranoid whenever she wrote anything down, but, as time passed, I've learnt to ignore it.  
“Do you believe you deserve a chance?”  
“No, I don't.” I shake my head vehemently. “I deserve to die for what I did.”  
“How do you feel about Hydra now?”  
“Repulsed, disgusted, ashamed. I was so blinded by my loyalty to Garrett, that I didn't see the truth that was right in front of me. But it's moot now. I will spend the rest of my life trying to atone for things that I cannot atone for. I've made my peace with the fact that I will never be released from here, and I will never get the chance to even offer an apology to Coulson, May, Fitz, Simmons, Trip or Skye. I deserve to be here. There is no redemption for Grant Ward.”  
There was nothing left to say after that. She closed her notebook and we stood.  
“Same time next week Grant.” She said as we shook hands. I waited for my escorts to open the door before moving towards them. Even though I had never once tried to escape, I had three armed escorts at all times. Given my reputation, I understood why, but I never even wanted to attempt to leave. My life was over, it was just a matter of time before they sentenced me to death, or life in prison. And that is no less than I deserve for what I did.


	2. Chapter 2

Skye POV

“How is he doing?” I ask quietly, not wanting Fitz to overhear.  
“OK,” Jemma smiled sadly. “Today is one of his better days. He managed to walk from the med bay to his lab unaided this morning. It's just so hard to see him like this.”  
“Hey, just remember it's not your fault.” I say, hugging the tearful biochemist. “He chose to sacrifice himself to save you. He knew what he was doing. The person who's fault it is, is currently rotting away in the bowels of the Fridge, where he deserves to be.”  
“But Fitz doesn't see it that way.” She pulled away from me, almost shouting. “He still believes in Ward, despite what he did to us.”  
“He's still healing Jemma,” I try to make her see reason. “Remember, the doctor said he would suffer from amnesia and memory lapses for months, maybe even years, as a result of the trauma and oxygen deprivation he suffered from. Just give him time, encourage him when he remembers something and let him come to his own conclusions.”  
She nods, wiping away a stray tear. “Thank you Skye, for everything.”  
I blush at the praise, still not used to it, even now. “Have you seen AC?”  
“Last time I saw him he was in his office on the phone.” She tells me. “It sounded official.”  
“Thanks.” I squeezed her hand in comfort then headed in the direction of Coulson's office.  
It took me exactly two minutes and 26 seconds to walk from the lab up to his office. When we first arrived here at the Playground, I would get lost on a daily basis. Now though, I could walk the entire complex with my eyes closed. I reach the door to find it slightly ajar and the sound of a one-sided conversation on the other side. He's obviously still on the phone, so I wait in the hall. Whilst I wait I pull up the latest reports from agents stationed in Europe on my tablet. I skim them for anything unusual then file them for Director Coulson to read later.  
“You can come in now Skye.” A voice calls me back to reality.  
I close the programme and open the door. “Hey AC.”  
“What can I do for you, Skye?” He asks as I sit opposite him.  
“I've managed to successfully hack into Hydra's 'secret' files and uncovered a ton of information on experiments, plans, locations of safe houses and more. I'm downloading it to a secure server, separate from our network, just in case it's a trap. It'll take a while, but hopefully it'll yield some workable leads.”  
“That's fantastic news, well done.” He sounded both shocked and proud by the accomplishment. “Even if it doesn't, we're in their system now, so we can track them in real time.”  
I smile and nod, I've already prepared a bug that I'll upload once we're finished downloading this data. I notice he's looking a little uncomfortable, which makes me highly suspicious. It's never a good thing when the boss refuses to look you in the eye.  
“What is it, AC?” I ask outright.  
He sighs heavily before scrubbing his face with his hands. “I just spent the last half hour on the phone with Nick Fury. There's been some chatter in Europe about a possible upsurge of Hydra members somewhere in the UK. He's asked me to assign two people to go undercover to root them out and arrest them. He's asked for you, Skye, as your skills as a hacker are unparalleled and a necessity for this mission.”  
I nod in understanding. “Who's the other agent?” I see him cringe and start to shy away from me. “Come on AC, who is it?”  
“Agent Grant Ward.” He whispers so quietly that I almost miss it.  
“Are you kidding me?” I almost shout and jump up out of my chair.  
“I'm afraid not-” He starts, but I interrupt.  
“No!” I shout. “No way! You cannot ask me to do that AC!”  
“I'm sorry Skye.” The Director says, apologetically. “There is no other option here. We need him for this mission to succeed.”  
“I don't care!” I rant at him. “You cannot ask me to work with Ward, not after what he did to us.”  
He approached my carefully, with his palms raised. “These orders came down from Fury himself. If there was any other way, I would take it. But there isn't. I need you for this, Skye.”  
The thought of going anywhere with Ward has me torn. It makes me sick to my stomach, but also causes butterflies to take flight. It’s been nearly half a year since 'the betrayal' and I'm still conflicted about my feelings for the ex-Agent. Not that I let anyone know, they all believe that I still hate him. I know Coulson wouldn't ask unless it was absolutely necessary. And I'm sure he argued the point with Fury too. I sigh and turn back to face him. “There really is no other way?”  
“None, his knowledge of the inner workings of Hydra is essential in rooting out these traitors.” He turned back to his desk and picked up two flash drives. “Theses drives contain all the interviews conducted with Ward since his incarceration 5 months ago. I want you to watch them all before we go and talk to him. I hope they'll help get you into a better frame of mind concerning him.”  
I take them from his hand and stare at them for a moment. Five months worth of interviews with therapists and psychologists, as well as trained interrogators lie in my palm. I pocket them and look up at my boss, the new Director of Shield, feeling a little calmer.  
He nods when he sees I've accepted the mission. “Let's get everyone together in the common room and I can explain it to the team.”  
We head our separate ways – me to find FitzSimmons and him to find May – and agree to meet up in thirty minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for reading so far. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do writing it. I hope to update once a week, on Sunday, but with NaNoWriMo coming up that might be sorely tested. I also need to finish writing this one too, as I only have 9 chapters so far, and I think I'm only about half way.
> 
> Enjoy, and remember to R&R! Thanks!

Skye POV

Half an hour later and we were all settled around the table, computers, tablets and papers littering the surface.  
Coulson started the meeting off. “We've received intel indicating that Hydra is attempting to reform somewhere in the UK, and they intend to hold a gathering some time in the next few weeks.”  
“Why have they waited so long?” Fitz asked, earning smiles from everyone.  
“Fury believes it's because of the damage we've dealt them over the last few months, They may have needed to go through back channels to contact each other, and also be completely confident they're not Shield spies.” The boss tells the room at large.  
“What is our mission?” May asks, getting the conversation back on track.  
“It's an undercover mission that will likely last until the meeting occurs. Agents Skye and Ward will be going undercover as a happily married couple, who sympathise with Hydra.” He held up a hand for silence when both Simmons and May started to protest. “The people assigned this mission were chosen by Fury himself, specifically for their knowledge. Skye is a computer whiz, so she'll be able to access any computer and get us the data, and Ward has an intimate and exhaustive knowledge of Hydra's inner workings. The rest of us will be on the Bus, ready to provide back up when it's needed. Our objective is to infiltrate the meeting, identify the attendees and arrest them. If this succeeds, we will have dealt them another crippling blow.” I watched as they all smiled at the thought of finally taking down the corrupt organisation.  
“There are a number of items that they will require if this is what you're set on doing.” May said, startling them all out of their reveries.  
“Yes.” Coulson touched the tablet in front of him, bringing up a list already sent by Fury. We all looked to the huge screen at the head of the table, where he had sent it. “First, and most importantly, we will need a tracker for Ward so we can track his every move, and know his location at all times. We will also need a bracelet which will prevent him from harming Skye or anyone deemed an innocent. He will not be allowed access to a gun either, only an ICER.”  
“Not a problem, Sir,” Fitz spoke up. “I can whip something up.”  
“We'll also need some secure computers, phones, ear pieces, maybe some glasses with miniature cameras.” I add, thinking about how we'll get the information we discover out.  
“What about accommodation?” Jemma piped up. “Do we even know where the meeting is set to be held?”  
“We don't have an exact location yet. Just that it's somewhere in the Cotswolds.” Coulson told her, bringing up a map of the South West of the UK.  
“That's a beautiful part of the country.” She smiled to herself, probably thinking about her home country.  
“We're going to set you guys up in a little house in the small town of Stroud. It's on the western edge of the Cotswolds and is the centre for several surrounding villages. We'll set the Bus down at a small airstrip in Gloucester, roughly ten miles from the town, so we'll be fairly close should you need us.”  
“What about us? What will we be doing whilst Ward and Skye are in the field?” May asks, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of Ward going anywhere with me.  
“We will be going through the data Skye is currently downloading from Hydras's secret server, looking for anything that indicates where the meeting will be, who will be there, how many we're looking at. Also, anything they discover whilst on this mission. We'll also be the ones coming up with the final plan to deal with them.”  
“So what's the plan with myself and Ward?” I ask, wanting to know what exactly was required of him and me.  
“You two will be using Grant's knowledge of Hydra to get close to them. Once you do, get into their computers, find out who they're talking to. It should give us a clearer picture of who we're dealing with. Keep a look out for mentions of a meeting too. We want to be present when they get together.”  
I nod, not totally happy with the plan. I really don't want to be within five feet of the guy, let alone hanging on his arm, with stars in my eyes. It'll put my acting skills to the test, big time.  
“Does Ward know any of this, Sir?” Jemma asked, voicing a query none of us even considered.  
“No, he doesn't.” Coulson shook his head. “First thing I had to do was get you up to speed and comfortable with the idea. In two days we leave for the Fridge, where Skye and I will make an unscheduled visit to brief him and bring him aboard. We'll need the tracker and the bracelet ready for when we arrive.” He directed the last comment and Fitz and Simmons, who both nod enthusiastically. “Good. Let's get to work.”  
We all headed in separate directions. FitzSimmons to the lab, May to ready the Bus, Coulson to his office and me to my room. I have several hours of footage to get through before we meet Ward again. I need to make sure I know everything that happened in those interviews, every piece of information he offered up, so I'm as prepared as I can be when we go undercover.  
I make a detour into the kitchen to grab some snacks and drinks. It's going to be a long ordeal and I'll need all the pick me ups I can get. I grab some water, coffee, fruit, chocolate, popcorn and chips and carry it all back to my room. I dump it on the bed and pull my laptop towards me. I get comfortable, open up the first file, slip in my earphones and start to watch.

“I will spend the rest of my life trying to atone for things that I cannot atone for. I've made my peace with the fact that I will never be released from here, and I will never get the chance to even offer an apology to Coulson, May, Fitz, Simmons, Trip or Skye. I deserve to be here. There is no redemption for Grant Ward.”  
The screen fades to black and I close the program. That was the last interview between Ward and his therapist, conducted just four days ago. Over the last two days I have spent most of my time watching the videos AC gave me and taking notes. It surprised me just how much I had learned from them. Ward had offered up nothing to start with, obviously still believing in Hydra. As the months passed and he had time to think back and reflect on his terrible choices, he began to open up and offer some good, solid intel. I now understood why Fury was adamant to have him on this mission. His knowledge of Hydra will be instrumental in rooting out the bad guys. It still didn't change my mind about him though. He knowingly killed people for his cause, good, honest, hard working members of Shield. He might want to apologise to us, but it will never be enough. His deception was far too intricate, far too detailed for a simple apology to change that. And as soon as I see him, I'll tell him exactly that.  
I eject the flash drive and stand, stretching all my tired and achy muscles. I grab them both and decide to talk to the boss. We have two hours left before we land at the Fridge and 'spring' Ward. I find him in the lab with Fitz and Simmons, going over some final details about the tracker and the bracelet. I tune out all the tech speak from them both and just listen to the sound of their voices.  
“Skye? Skye!” A hand waves in front of my face, making me jump and rejoin the conversation. I see Jemma standing in front of me, waiting for a reply.  
“Sorry, what did you say?” I ask, paying attention now.  
“I was going to explain how the bracelet works to you.”  
“Sure.” I nod and try not to get lost in all the technical talk.  
“We've modified the one we used for you.” Fitz said, reminding me of my past indiscretions. “Instead of monitoring keystrokes, it will monitor his heart rate and brain waves. If he even attempts physical harm to anyone deemed innocent it will send a small electrical charge through his nervous system, rendering him temporarily incapacitated.”  
“How will it be able to differentiate between the good and bad guys?” I ask, confused about that.  
“We will be able to program it from this tablet.” Simmons holds up a small tablet that was lying next to her. “Once we know who's who, we can program it to allow him to take down only specific targets. Hopefully we won't need to do that.”  
I nod, happy to hear that. “What about the gun access? How will you keep him from getting a weapon when we will essentially be surrounded by them?”  
“That's where the tracker comes in handy.” Coulson says, joining the conversation. “As well as tracking his movements, it will be able to detect whenever he handles any weapon. If it's not an ICER it will send his hand into spasms, forcing him to release it. Unless he consciously forces his hand to maintain a grip at all times, he will not be able to fire a weapon during this mission.”  
I feel much better knowing his ability to harm will be severely diminished and that I'll be safe enough with him.  
“We touch down in thirty minutes guys.” May called out as she made her way towards the cockpit.  
“Thanks May.” Coulson said. “How long do you need to finish up here?”  
“15 minutes.” Fitz told him. “I just need Skye to link her laptop to this tablet and we're in business.”  
Conscious of the time limit, I hurry back to my bunk and grab it. Back in the lab I connect the two devices for Fitz, who proceeds to explain how they will be able to read anything I get in real time and adjust the bracelet and tracker settings accordingly.  
“Please fasten your seat belts, we will be landing in five minutes.” May announced over the radio. We take our seats and belt up, slipping back into the routine easily. The landing is deceptively smooth, considering I'm feeling especially jumpy and restless. Once the plane is down and May gives the all clear we unbuckle and start to make the final preparations.  
“It's time.” Is all Director Coulson says. Nothing else is needed. I silently follow him off the Bus and begin the journey down through the Fridge to one of the many interrogation rooms.


	4. Chapter 4

Ward POV

“You have a visitor.” I look up from reading 'The Deadliest Bite' to find my newest guard standing at the open door. I mark my page and follow him out, flanked by two more guards. They lead me to a room I've never seen before and leave me there alone.  
Ten minutes later and I'm started to get restless and confused. If I have a visitor then where is he? I don't let it show though, as I know they're bound to be watching for any sign of discomfort, They're always watching. I hear the door behind me open and tense automatically. I stare straight ahead, not wanting to appear curious and wait for my visitor to appear in my line of sight.  
The scent of lavender and strawberries hit me first and my breath hitches. I know that combination, but she would never come here to see me. When she stepped into sight, I thought I was dreaming, especially when Agent Coulson followed her into a chair opposite me. What ultimately convinces me is the look of utter disdain on her beautiful face.  
“Agent Coulson Sir.” I say, automatically rising from my seat.  
“Actually, it's Director Coulson now.” Skye tell me shortly.  
“Sit down Ward.” Director Coulson says. I take my seat, feeling shocked and impressed at his change in status. “I'll get straight to the point. There is a mission that has come down from Director Fury himself. He has requested you for an undercover operation.”  
I snap to attention. “What is the mission?”  
“There has been some chatter concerning a possible resurgence of Hydra. We want you to go undercover, find out who they are, where they are planning to meet and get yourselves invited. Once we've identified all the players, we'll come in and take them down.”  
I nod, already on board. “Are you in?” Skye asks.  
“Yes.” I say quickly.  
“Won't that be a conflict of interest?” She replies snidely.  
I take her hostility in stride. “Not at all. I have to atone for my sins. If this is the only way, then so be it. I will do whatever is necessary.”  
She scoffs at me. “I'm sure you will.”  
“Skye.” Coulson admonishes her. She has the grace to look ashamed. He pulls out a silver bracelet and a syringe. “Before we go anywhere you need to know about these two items. This bracelet prevents you from harming innocent people and this syringe contains a tracker which enables us to know your whereabouts at all times, and a microchip which prevents you from using a gun. Let me be clear to you. We don't trust you at all, but our need for your services far outweighs our personal feelings.”  
I nod in acceptance. I would expect nothing less from the people I betrayed. I watch as the Director approaches me with both items. I hold my left arm up and let him snap on the bracelet. He then injects the tracker under my collarbone, where it cannot be easily removed.  
“Go ahead Fitz.” I don't understand what he's talking about, but evidently something happens because they both relax a little. “Let's go.”  
I stand as Skye does and follow Director Coulson to the door. He opens it to an empty corridor, which surprises me, as I can't go anywhere without my armed guard. I don't question it though, just follow him dutifully out of the Fridge to the waiting Bus, with Skye bringing up the rear.

I'm aware of the silence as we walk up the ramp. Three sets of eyes watch us, each with varying degrees of hatred and disgust, as we head towards the lab. May heads for the cockpit and FitzSimmons follow us. “Wheels up in five.”  
We strap in and the silence starts to get uncomfortable, but I don't want to be the one to break it. I keep my eyes on the wall opposite me, knowing everyone else's eyes are on me, watching and waiting for me to make the wrong move. I feel the plane gain altitude then level out to cruise.  
Agent May joins us once the auto pilot has been engaged. “We'll reach our destination in 14 hours.”  
“Good, that gives us plenty of time to prepare.” Director Coulson says. “Fitz, Simmons, get all the tech and weapons ready, ensure they'll have everything they need, and May, check on their covers and accommodation, then help with the weapons. Skye, Ward and I will be in my office for the briefing.” We all head in separate directions. I follow the Director, tracing the familiar path, up the stairs to his office. Him and Skye take a seat on opposite sides of the desk and I stand off to the side, unsure of what I should do. “Sit down, Ward.” I take a seat next to Skye and wait. I watch as he enters something onto a tablet, which brings up the mission briefing on the display to the right of me.  
“You will be going undercover as Mr James and Mrs Jennifer Clark, a happily married couple, looking to settle permanently in the UK. You will be Hydra members looking to join the British section, far away from the reaches of Shield. Ward, your knowledge of Hydra will be essential in gaining their trust and discovering who is still out there.” A ping sounds from the tablet and he opens a document which contains our back stories and details about the location we would be spending our time in. He sends them to two tablets, which he gives to us to study.  
“Your first order of business will be to 'meet' Mr and Mrs Jordan Cliff-Simons. They are confirmed Hydra members and will likely have some information on the current set-up. If you can, get into their computers, find out who they're talking to, relay it back to us and we can determine our next move.” I nod in understanding, glad to have an order to follow and knowing we won't be going in blind. “Are you both with me on this?” He asks of us both.  
“Yes, Director. I know what I have to do.” Skye tells him with a smile.  
“Yes, Sir.” I say, in response.  
“Good. Study those covers, make sure you're comfortable with them and each other before we land in England.” With that he leaves us alone in his office. I start to stand when I hear the door shut and lock. I look up to find Skye standing in front of it with her arms crossed. She looked pissed off, which actually makes her look extremely sexy. I won't ever tell her that though, she'll bite my head off if I do.  
“I'm only going to say this once, Ward. I hate you. I don't want to work with you, let alone pretend to be in love with you. What you did, who you are, sickens me and nothing you can or will do will ever make up for your deception. Fitz will never be the same and that hurts us all. May would gladly see you dead. Jemma won't say it, but I know she feels the same, you destroyed her best friend. And the Director – well, he spent half an hour on the phone attempting to dissuade Fury from this course of action, so I guess that speaks for itself.” She stops to take a breath. “But I'm a professional and an Agent of Shield, so I will do my job, flush out the traitors and put them all where they belong. Then I will gladly see you back to the prison you built for yourself and I will leave you there to rot with a smile upon my face. You made your choice years ago when you agreed to follow that madman and no amount of apologising can even begin to undo all the pain you caused.”  
I sit in silence, with my head down throughout her entire rant, knowing that I deserve it. “I'm sorry.” I whisper when she says no more.  
“Well, sorry isn't enough.” A few minutes later I raise my head to find the room empty. I sigh and close my eyes. It's going to be an extremely tough mission to complete when she barely even looks at me. I pick up the tablet and leave the office. I stop abruptly when I reach the hall as I have no idea where I should go. In the end I choose the bar, where I pour myself a scotch and begin to read my alias' back story.

By the time we land in England I know both of our characters inside and out and I've studied a map of the area where we'll be staying. It's a busy little town nestled in a valley in the Cotswolds. It's pretty close to some big cities and has some large open spaces if we need the rest of the team in a hurry.  
Finished with my part I walk around the Bus, looking for any sign of Skye. She's not in her bunk, the lab, the kitchen area or the training room. Either she's walking around too or she's very well hidden. If it's the latter then I don't blame her, I wouldn't want to be around me either. I take a seat near the bar and wait for someone to find me and tell me what I need to do next.  
I don't have to wait long as May walks through on her way to the lab. “Come with me.” I get up and dutifully follow her downstairs where I find everyone is already assembled. I stand at the back of the room, away from everyone else and just listen.  
“Everything you should need has been packed into the car already.” Director Coulson says to us both when he spots me.  
“I've set up an account for us, using the funds that Fury allocated, so if there's anything missing we won't have to worry.” Skye tells me, studiously avoiding looking in my direction.  
“OK.” I say, nodding slightly.  
“Your house is already furnished and groceries have been delivered ready for you.” May hands a set of keys to each of us.  
“Your targets are holding a party at the end of the week.” Coulson continues. “Get yourselves an invite. They will be at the cinema in Gloucester Quays tomorrow evening for a private showing of Transformers: Age of Extinction. We've managed to get you two tickets to attend with them. It's the perfect place to make their acquaintance.”  
“How do we do that?” Skye asked, taking the tickets.  
“That is entirely up to you.” The Director tells us. “Everything we know about them has been downloaded to your tablets. Just find a way in.”  
We both nod, my mind already racing with ideas about how to get in with them. First things first though, we need to get to our house.  
“Is that everything, Sir?” I ask him.  
“For now.” He nods. “You had better be on your way so you can get settled in. And remember, you two are happily married, so please, no fighting in public.” He addressed that last comment to Skye, obviously aware of her animosity towards me.  
She smiled at him sweetly. “Not a problem, AC. I'll be so in love with him that even you'll be convinced it's real.” He nodded back at her indulgently.  
“Get going you two.” The keys get tossed towards me and we start heading towards the car.  
“Wait!” Simmons calls from behind us. “You'll be needing these.” She hands me a jewellery box, which I open to find three rings inside. A set of gold wedding bands and a gold engagement ring with a diamond surrounded by a bed of rubies. It's quite a stunning ring, really. I turn to Skye and look her in the eye, watching for her reaction. When she nods, I take out both of her rings and slip them onto her ring finger, marvelling at how right it looks and feels to be doing so. I reluctantly release her hand and take out mine. I place it on my ring finger and almost do a double take at it. Wearing it settles something inside of me and I feel a sense of peace come over me. I shake myself out of those thoughts and get into the car. A moment later Skye joins me and we head down the ramp towards the town and the house that we will be sharing for who knows how long.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small one today for you. Enjoy!

Skye POV

As he slipped that engagement ring on my finger I felt a shiver go through me, and not in a repulsed way either. Some small part of me was thrilled and that annoyed me. How I could react to him that way after what he did just wasn't right, but, once again, it seemed like my heart and mind were going to be at war. I stay silent the entire way into the small country town.  
Once we arrive I take a deep breath and switch on my alter ego. I smile lovingly at Ward – no James – and get out of the car.  
“Oh, sweetie, this place looks beautiful.” I say as I walk around the car to slip an arm around his waist. He does a double take at the shift in attitude from me and I inwardly smirk.  
“Not as beautiful as you, babe.” He kisses the top of my head and places his arm around my shoulders. I cringe inwardly at the contact but don't let it show.  
“Let's go and see what the rest of the house looks like.” I take his hand and lead him up the path to the front door. I open the door right into a large lounge area which takes up the entire right side of the bottom floor. On the left side is a kitchen diner. It's all open plan and full of light. To our immediate left are the stairs leading to the first floor. There are two bedrooms – one a decent size single and the other a small single – and a large bathroom. Up another flight of stairs and there is a large double bedroom with an en suite. It's plenty big enough for the two of us, but there is no way I will be sleeping in the same bed, let alone the same room as Ward. We head back downstairs, through the lounge to the back garden. It's a good size with a high wooden fence around it, so we're quite well protected.  
After the tour we start bringing in all our equipment and clothes. I take mine up to the top floor and spend a little time putting it all away. Ward doesn't even ask about the sleeping arrangements, he just takes the larger of the two rooms downstairs. Once I've finished I pull out my tablet and start to read all about Mr and Mrs Cliff-Simons. We have just one day to learn all we can about them and come up with a plan to get us on their radar, all before this weekend.

“How are we going to do this?” I ask Ward, placing two bowls on the table and taking a seat.  
“Everything I've read about Mr Cliff-Simons indicates that he's passionate about the Transformers franchise. All I have to do is get him talking about it.” He says, clearly having thought about it over the last few hours.  
“And how will you manage that when he doesn't even know you?” I inquire, wanting the details.  
“When the film finishes, we make sure we leave first. You will excuse yourself to use the bathroom and I'll use that time to get close to him. He's bound to want to talk about what happened with his associates, I can join the conversation.”  
“What about me, what do you want me to do?” I ask, wondering about my duties.  
“Make friends with the wife. If I can't successfully acquire an invite, it'll fall to you to do so.”  
I nod, already going over what I know about Clare Cliff-Simons. “That shouldn't be too difficult, we have some of the same interests, and anything we don't, I can fake.” If he detects the sarcasm I threw into that statement, he doesn't react to it. “Anything else?”  
“Not at the moment.” He shakes his head. “We should turn in, get a good night's rest.” We finish our meal in silence, then I head to my room without a word or a backwards glance.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note to say thanks everyone for reading this with me. I'm happy you're enjoying it as much as I do.
> 
> I'm posting this up whilst taking a quick break from NaNo. Please, enjoy!

Skye POV

I decide to wear the blue dress to the cinema tonight. It's tight at the top with a flowing knee length skirt, so it should draw some attention without being over the top. I make my final preparations – hair and make up – before slipping into it. A glance at the clock tells me that it's time to go. I grab my matching clutch, slip into my comfy heels and head downstairs to meet 'James'. He's waiting in the lounge for me when I reach the bottom of the stairs. He's wearing dark blue jeans and a pale blue shirt, which actually looks really good on him.  
“Where are your rings?” He asks once he stops gawking at me.  
I look down to see my hand is empty. “I left them on my dresser.”  
“I'll get them.” He's gone before I can protest. Less than a minute later he's back with both the wedding and the gorgeous engagement ring. He places them back on my ring finger, then in a surprise move, leans over me and kisses it.  
“We should go.” I whisper when he doesn't let go quickly enough. Instead of releasing me, he places my hand in the crook of his elbow and leads us out to the car. He seems to be taking his character way too seriously.  
We arrive at the cinema with ten minutes to spare. He puts an arm around me and pulls me close as we enter the complex.  
“Would you like some popcorn and drinks, Jen?” He asks as we head up the escalator towards the refreshments.  
I smile up at him. “Yes, James, I would. Salted popcorn and a water.” He orders for both of us and even carries it all into the screen. There are several people already seated as we find ours, near the back. I can feel him scanning the small crowd for the couple. “Are they here?” I whisper to him.  
“No, not yet, but they are expecting them within the next few minutes.” He whispers back. He hands me my water and puts the popcorn between us so we can both reach it.  
The lights dim as the adverts start. I keep one eye on the door and one on the screen, waiting for their arrival. Just as the film is about to start they enter and take seats right in the middle of the room. Throughout the movie I keep an eye on them, just as Ward is undoubtedly doing, watching for anything suspicious.

Three hours later the lights go up and we stand, intent on getting out first so we can get into place.  
“That was so good!” Skye gushed as we exited the screen hand in hand. “But it was so long. I have to use the ladies.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek, then practically runs for the bathroom. I take up a position that guarantees they'll all have to pass me. It doesn't take long for the couple to emerge and Mrs Cliff-Simons to follow Skye's example. Like me, Mr Cliff-Simons stands off to the side to wait.  
I listen to the men gathered discussing the outcome of the film, waiting for the moment when I can jump in.  
“I think the addition of the dinosaurs was a bit too much.” A tall, willowy man said loudly.  
I snort, gaining the attention of all the men present. “Sorry.”  
“No, no, please.” Mr Cliff-Simons turned to me. “What did you think of it?”  
“I think they fit perfectly. The back story was about the extinction of the dinosaurs, so it made sense that some of them would have taken that form, considering they appear to have been dormant for millions of years, and hadn't even had an upgrade. What else could they have been?”  
“So you didn't think it was too much?” He asked, looking very interested in my answer.  
I smile as I see I have his complete and undivided attention. “Not at all. I think it was very good. They took a giant leap away from the previous trilogy, with an all new cast, and gave it a new lease of life.”  
He smiled back at me and I knew I had succeeded. “Jordan Cliff-Simons.” He held out his hand to shake, which I accepted.  
“James Clark.”  
“Nice to meet you James.” Skye took that moment to appear with Clare Cliff-Simons, both chatting like they'd been friends for years.  
“Hey, sweetie.” Skye says, rejoining me and putting an arm around my waist.  
I smile lovingly at her. “Hey.” I get lost in her beautiful, expressive brown eyes and forget my surroundings for a moment. I get brought back to reality by a throat clearing behind me. I blush and turn back to our target. “Sorry, Jordan, this is my wife, Jennifer.”  
“Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Jordan steps forward to shake her hand.  
She smiles widely at him. “The pleasure is all mine.”  
“And this is my wife, Clare.”  
I shake her hand lightly and nod in greeting. “Nice to meet you.”  
“So what were you guys talking about?”  
Skye asks, resting her head on my shoulder.  
“Dinosaurs.” I state simply. Jordan laughs at the confusion on her face.  
“We were discussing the dinobots in the film, and whether they were too much. Your husband shares my view that after an extended hibernation they would take on the forms of the last creatures they saw – hence the dinosaurs.”  
“Ah, now I understand.” She says, recognition lighting up her face. I smile indulgently at her and kiss the top of her head.  
Jordan checks his watch. “Listen, I hate to chat and run, but we have a dinner reservation that we cannot be late for.”  
“Don't let me hold you up.” I say, holding out my hand again. “It was nice to meet you.”  
“You too.” We shook and they left. I had failed to get the invitation.  
“We should get going too.” Skye says to me quietly.  
“Yeah.” I answer absent-mindedly. She pulls me along to get me moving, my mind racing, trying to figure out where I went wrong.  
“James. James. JAMES!” I snap out of it when I realise Skye is calling my alter ego's name. “Are you alright?”  
“I'm fine.” I say curtly and get into the car.  
“I take it by your attitude you didn't get the invite.”  
“No. I thought I had him, but no, he didn't even mention it.”  
“Then it's a good job I made friends with his wife.” She smiles at me as I whip my head around to look at her. “She asked me if we'd be interested in meeting some of their friends as a 'welcome to the country' gathering. I said I'd talk to you and let them know, so she gave me her number.”  
I smile widely at her, both proud and amazed by her ability to charm anyone into anything. “Then I'll leave it to you to let her know we'll be there.” I start the car and pull out of the parking garage, heading for home. I have an idea running around my mind, but I'm reluctant about voicing it, given her feelings towards me.  
“Skye.” He says quietly. It's so soft that I don't snap at him like I intended to.  
“Yeah.” I answer in an equally soft whisper.  
“Would you like to go get a drink with me when we get home?” It comes out almost reluctantly, as if he's afraid of my reaction. I think about it for a moment. Nothing has really changed in a day, I still feel extremely conflicted around him, but being seen out and about as a couple will help our cover, should it be needed.  
“Sure. What did you have in mind?” I see his eyes widen slightly in shock before he regains his composure.  
“There are a number of pubs in the town centre, we could check them out, pick the one we like best.” He sounded hopeful. A walk around the town seemed like a good idea. We could scout out the area, get a feel for the locals and see if we could hear anything.  
“Ok, that's actually a good idea.”  
“Great, let's drop the car off at home and we can walk in, if that's ok?”  
“That's fine, Ward.”  
We reach the house a few minutes later. I take a moment to grab a jacket whilst he drops off the keys.  
The short walk into town starts off a little awkward, until we drop back into our roles. He gently takes my hand, holding it loosely, so I can pull away if I want to. I feel a tingle go through my hand, telling me that my body approves, even whilst my mind shies away. It was only due to the situation that I kept my hand in his and even tightened my fingers.  
“Where did you want to go first?” I ask, looking around at the dark stores, admiring how different it is here in this small town.  
“Let's scout the area, find the bars, look for possible venues for the meeting and see if we can make friends.” He suggests as we head up the high street. Our jaunt around the town only takes about ten minutes and we find several pubs in close proximity to each other.  
Being a week night it's not especially busy, so we have our pick of drinking establishments. We decide on a little one tucked away in a side street called the Swan. It's cosy and intimate, perfect for a couple looking for a quiet drink.  
“What would you like to drink Jen?” Ward asks over the conversation steadily flowing through the bar.  
I take a look at the menu, strategically placed on the bar in front of me. It's a list of cocktails and one in particular catches my eye. It's called a Disarrono Sunrise – a mix of Disarrono, orange juice and grenadine. “I'll have one of these.” I point to the drink, showing both my 'husband' and the bartender my choice.  
“And I'll have a scotch on the rocks.” The bartender turns away to make our drinks and I spot an empty table near the front window so I tell Ward that I'm going to go and sit down. He nods and presses a kiss to my cheek, releasing the arm he had around me so I can move away. I sit and watch everyone present. There's a group of young men celebrating something, a few couples having a quiet drink and several older people, who obviously know each other, reminiscing about old times.  
Ward joins me a minute later, placing a drink that looks like a sunrise in front of me, with orange merging into red as it rises. I love the way it is and take a sip. The almond taste goes well with the tart orange and sweet grenadine. I've always loved the amaretti taste and Disarrono is the same stuff – almonds - so, naturally, I had to try it and have been hooked ever since.  
“How is it?” He asks quietly.  
“Really good. Just the right amount of juice to balance out the alcohol.” I tell him. “I could drink it all day.”  
“I'm glad you like it.” He took a large gulp of his drink, whether to get us out of here quicker or for courage I don't know. I twirl my straw around in the glass slowly, watching the colours start to merge together.  
“Can I tell you something?” He says, almost reluctantly.  
“Sure.” I paste a smile on my face, keeping up our façade.  
“It's about my past.” He warns, wanting me to understand. It's something I'm not sure that I want to hear. I nod anyway. I watch and wait as he takes another sip, followed by a deep breath. “I didn't have a good childhood. My older brother was the main reason, though he wasn't the only one. My father had his fair share too. My brother would force me to beat our younger brother and if I refused he'd do worse to both of us. My father just laughed and encouraged him. Sometimes he'd even join in. And during all this my mother would be passed out, blind drunk, on the couch.” He stops to take a breath and I hold mine, horrified by what I’m hearing. “When I was a teenager I set fire to the family home, I was subsequently caught and sent to juvenile hall. John Garrett found me there and offered me a chance. He got me out and took me under his wing. His version of training was to take me into the woods, fresh out of juvie, and leave me there, with only Buddy for company, for six months.” My heart skips a beat and my breath hitches in my throat. I thought I had it bad growing up. He continues without acknowledging me. “He left me with no provisions. I had to catch my own food, build my own shelter, protect myself from predators. I had no human interaction at all in that time. He left me there for several years, until finally I was accepted into the Shield Academy and he told me the truth about who he was, how he became a member of Hydra. He taught me everything, raised me as his own son, made me a soldier and gave my life meaning. I owed him my life, so I gave him mine in return.”  
We were silent for a while, both caught up in our own thoughts. Hearing about what he went through as a kid, and how Garrett preyed on him, sickened me more than his betrayal did. It also helped me understand him and his motives a little better.  
“How do you feel about him now?” I whisper, not sure I want to know the answer.  
“Conflicted.” He says succinctly. “I mean, he was the closest thing to a father I've ever had. He raised me, taught me how to survive and gave me a role model to look up to. I thought I was following a man on a righteous path, but it seems all he wanted was to become invincible and take over the world. I've followed orders all my life and when I asked what me next one was he laughed at me, just brushed me off as he'd achieved his goal at the expense of everyone else.”  
“What about Hydra?” I broach the subject carefully, unsure of his feelings toward the corrupt organisation.  
“You were right about them.” He met my eyes levelly for the first time since he started talking. “And you were right about me.”  
I know I was right about Hydra, but I’m not so sure about him any more, after hearing about his past, and it doesn’t make me feel any better to hear it from him.  
“What about me?” He asks, almost shyly.  
I take a moment to compose my answer, then, for reasons unbeknownst to me, lean over and take his hands in mine. “I understand you reasons for joining Garrett and Hydra, I do. You had a horrific upbringing, one I wouldn't wish on anyone, and you made a bad decision to join a madman. But you killed innocent people, knowing full well what you were doing, even if you didn't know the whole truth. That's not something that can be forgiven or forgotten.”  
“I know, and I'm not asking for forgiveness. All I'm asking for is a chance to make up for all the things I did and apologise to everyone that I ended up hurting.” He sighs and closes his eyes for a moment. “Garrett may have been like a father to me, but you guys were family. I tried not to get attached to anyone, but I failed. I cared for each and every one of you.”  
I snort, thinking of Fitz. “You have a strange way of showing it.”  
“I truly believed it would float, I really did.” He sat back, dragging his hands from mine up to his face. “When it didn't I felt sick to my stomach. I thought I'd killed my best friend and it almost killed me.”  
I felt a wave of grief and despair go through me at the thought of Fitz dying in that pod and it suddenly got very hard to breathe. I felt a hand on my face and a voice in the distance. “Breathe, honey. Breathe.” I try to follow the request, taking a deep breath and the knot in my chest starts to ease, helping me to calm down. I concentrate on breathing until I feel like myself again. “Feeling better?”  
I nod, not trusting myself to speak just yet. He searches my eyes, looking for the truth. Satisfied that I'm ok, he goes to stand, saying something about another drink. I can understand his reasoning. I could use something stronger too. In the time he's gone I regain my composure enough to remember why we're here.  
He comes back with two scotches and a bottle of water. I smile my thanks at him and take a healthy gulp of the water.  
“Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories.” He says apologetically.  
“You didn't.” I reply. “I don't know what came over me.” I take a fortifying sip of my drink and enjoy the burn as it goes down. We sit in silence for a few minutes and I feel regret wash through me. I push it away and down the rest of the scotch, trying to drown out the feelings.  
“I told you about my past, hoping you'd at least understand why I did what I did.” He told me. “I owed him for everything he did for me.”  
“I get that Ward, I really do.” I lean forward, taking his hand again. “But not everything can be solved with an apology or an explanation. We trusted you implicitly, and you destroyed that with a single bad choice.”  
He had the grace to look ashamed. “I know, and it's something that I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. I just want the chance to try and make up for my sins and show you guys that I've changed, that I want to help you rebuild. This could be the perfect chance to do that.”  
“We'll see.” I reply, not entirely convinced about his motives. He doesn't say anything more, probably knowing that his actions will do more for him than his words. I certainly won't be convinced by anything else. I decide to get us back to the task at hand. “I noticed a few places that would make a good venue for a meeting.”  
When he realised I'd changed the subject again, back to our mission, he almost came back to life. “Me too. When we get home we'll have to look them up, see what we can discern about private gatherings.”  
“Ok.” I nod, already mentally compiling a list. “I was also thinking that we should go for a drive tomorrow, around all the other towns and villages, see what we can find.”  
“Good idea.” He replies. “We should make a list of possible venues for Director Coulson to investigate, it may help narrow down the choices.”  
“And if anyone asks, we're thinking of living here, so were taking pictures of the area to get a better feel for the place.” I add, playing to our cover. He nods, seemingly happy with the idea, and finishes his scotch. I shake my head when he silently asks if I want another. “We should probably head back, get some sleep before tomorrow.”  
“I suppose you're right.” He sighs, before getting to his feet and offering me a hand. I take it and stand, and he surprises me my giving me a soft, quick kiss on the lips. I only just manage to prevent myself from either striking him or pulling him closer, my mind and body both still fighting for dominance. In the end I just stand there, slightly shocked, until he tugs me forward. It takes me a moment to realise he was just acting like my husband and that it's necessary for us to kiss to keep our cover in place.  
I smile at the look of terror evident on his face at his unexpected gesture. He was obviously expecting me to blow up at him or something, but I just lean in and kiss him back, a little harder, startling him. A loud round of whistles causes us to jump apart and I blush profusely. Regaining his wits, Ward wraps an arm around me and leads us out of the pub, in the cooler, fresh air of the late British night. He keeps me attached to his side the entire walk home. I don't know whether it's for protection, our cover, or his own piece of mind, but for some reason, I don't call him on it.  
As soon as we walk through the door I move away from him and kick off my shoes. They may have been my comfy heels, but I can only put up with them for so long before they start to hurt. Knowing we still have work to do before I can relax I head for the part of the lounge that we've converted into a study and grab my laptop. I curl up on the couch and open a window to start working out a route for tomorrow as well as writing down our discoveries about the town.  
I'm startled out of my task when I feel a pair of hands grab my feet and turn me sideways on the couch. I grab my laptop before it crashes onto the floor and look up to find Ward has sat on the other end of the couch with my feet in his lap. My question dies in my throat when he starts kneading the tight muscles in my feet, instead I close my eyes and let out a deep moan. He digs into my arches, loosening the tension and reducing me to a quivering puddle of goo.  
“Have you figured out where we're going to go tomorrow?” His voice rumbled lowly through the quiet of the house.  
“Mostly, yes. I figured we'd go in a circle. Head south towards Bath, then make our way north, towards Cirencester, Burford, Evesham then back south through Cheltenham and back here to Stroud. It'll take us several hours to do the round trip, but we can make it a day trip by stopping for half an hour in each town or city to look around and take pictures.”  
“You mean we'll act like typical tourists.” He says with a smile.  
I can't help but return it, unable to muster up my earlier anger and disgust with him. “Yeah, basically.”  
“Alright, sounds like a plan.” He takes my feet off his lap, placing them on the couch and getting to his feet. “We should get some sleep. Good night, Skye.”  
“Night Ward.” I watch as he heads upstairs to his small, cramped bed for the night. I finish typing up my email to AC, encrypt it and send it on to him, knowing he'll get on it straight away in the morning. Closing my laptop, I get to my feet and stretch, feeling mellow and at peace for the first time in a long while. I follow in his footsteps and head up to bed, looking forward to collapsing in my big king sized bed and getting a good nights sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Ward POV

“So what do you think?” I ask Skye as we leave the last of our scheduled stops behind.  
“I think we have a lot of possibilities. Some of the larger towns seem more promising. Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bath, Cirencester. We should put those at the top of the list.”  
“I'm not sure I agree, I feel that we'll have better luck with the smaller ones.” I feel confident that Hydra members would prefer to choose a smaller venue. Easier to protect and defend should anything happen, than a larger one would be.”  
She nods, seemingly unconvinced. “You'd have a better idea about it than me. What would you do?”  
“Personally I would choose a very small venue, something with only one or two exits, where I could station guards to prevent any unwanted guests or nosy neighbours from listening in. I'd tell only a select few, whom I trust implicitly, where it will be, getting them to bring others along, to cut down the risk of an enemy team overhearing and infiltrating the meeting by lying in wait to ambush us.” I look over to see she's slightly shocked at my idea. “But I don't know what these guys are going to do. We'll have to listen and learn all we can about them on Friday, see if we can deduce what they might do.”  
“Wow,” She finally says. “Sounds like you've thought a lot about this.”  
I snort. “For the last five months, I’ve had nothing to do but think, mainly about Hydra’s inner workings. That’s all anyone ever wanted to talk about.” I add the last part quietly, almost to myself.  
“Sorry.” She apologises, shocking both of us, if the look on her face is any indication.  
“It's ok, I deserved it.” I reply, in an attempt to explain it away.  
“No, it isn't,” She says, with more conviction. “You should have had the chance to talk about other things. But if you truly want to make amends and change the way we treat you, prove it. The phrase 'Actions speak louder than words' is pretty apt for this situation, so help us put these guys away and it'll, at the very least, be a step in the right direction.”  
“I have every intention of seeing this through, Skye. There is no other option for me. I want a chance to prove that I've changed, that I want to help rebuild everything I destroyed, to be a part of Shield again.” Now that I've said it out loud again, I know it's true, and it's the final piece of the puzzle I needed to see the truth of my actions. It's almost a revelation, or an epiphany, and I have to pull over.  
“What is it?” Skye asks as we pull into a lay-by and park.  
“I finally see the truth.” I breathe, turning to her with a look of awe on my face. “Garrett, hydra, Shield, my father, my brother and me.”  
“What do you see?” She replies, equally quiet.  
“That Garrett essentially brainwashed me. He only told me what I needed to know and trained me so well that I never questioned it. Me made it so I relied on him and trusted that he knew best.”  
“So you followed orders? Like a good little soldier?” She sounded snarky, but I could hear the curiosity underneath it.  
“Yes, I did.” I tell her succinctly.  
“What about now though? You're still following orders.”  
“To a point yes.” I nod in acquiescence. “This is a mission, given to us by former Director Fury, but we've been given the chance to do it out own way. We get to choose how we proceed, how to pursue leads, where to go. It's both exciting and terrifying at the same time.” She looks a little confused, so I explain further. “To not have a plan to follow is foreign to me. Every move of my life for the last 15 years has been carefully planned out and followed to the letter. Having the freedom to choose is disconcerting and I find myself looking for someone, anyone, for an order. Basically I have to retrain myself to be human, and to make my own decisions, and that is something I've never done, until now.”  
“Ok, so, what's our next move?” She asks, clearly leaving it up to me.  
“Well, we need to get this data uploaded to the Bus, get them checking into local halls, public houses, and the like, see if there's any chatter about them. In the meantime, you should call Clare and confirm our invite for Friday, find out what the dress code is, then tomorrow, we can go shopping for clothes if necessary.”  
“Sounds like a plan.” She turns back to the road as I pull out into the sparse traffic heading back to our home base. “I'll get the photos and list uploaded as soon as we get back, then I'm taking a relaxing bath, reading a good book and going to bed.”  
“Sounds like a plan.” I echo her earlier sentiment. She just rolls her eyes at me and takes out her phone.  
“Hi Clare, it's Jennifer Clark.” A pause and a smile. “Yes, I was actually just calling to say we'll be there on Friday.” A pause. “Nope, that's not a problem.” She looks at me, pulls out a pen and pad. “Ok, go ahead.” She writes down what looks like an address. “Sure, we'll be there. Bye.” She puts her phone away and turns back to me. “She asked us to bring a bottle of wine with us. Also the dress code is 'whatever you want'.”  
“Is that their address?” I nod towards the pad in her hand.  
“Yep. When we get back I'll google it, see where it is in relation to us.”  
“Ok.” I quickly read the address and memorise it before concentrating on navigating the small, winding roads that connect the towns and villages to each other.


End file.
